Definitions for curiumˈkyʊər i əm

This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word curium

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:(0.00 / 0 votes)

curium, Cm, atomic number 96(noun)

a radioactive transuranic metallic element; produced by bombarding plutonium with helium nuclei

WiktionaryRate this definition:(0.00 / 0 votes)

curium(Noun)

a transuranic chemical element (symbol Cm) with an atomic number of 96.

Origin: Named after Pierre Curie and Marie Curie

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Curium

Curium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the symbol Cm and atomic number 96. This element of the actinide series was named after Marie Skłodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie – both were known for their research on radioactivity. Curium was first intentionally produced and identified in July 1944 by the group of Glenn T. Seaborg at the University of California, Berkeley. The discovery was kept secret and only released to the public in November 1945. Most curium is produced by bombarding uranium or plutonium with neutrons in nuclear reactors – one tonne of spent nuclear fuel contains about 20 grams of curium.
Curium is a hard, dense, silvery metal with a relatively high melting point and boiling point for an actinide. Whereas it is paramagnetic at ambient conditions, it becomes antiferromagnetic upon cooling, and other magnetic transitions are also observed for many curium compounds. In compounds, curium usually exhibits valence +3 and sometimes +4, and the +3 valence is predominant in solutions. Curium readily oxidizes, and its oxides are a dominant form of this element. It forms strongly fluorescent complexes with various organic compounds, but there is no evidence of its incorporation into bacteria and archaea. When introduced into the human body, curium accumulates in the bones, lungs and liver, where it promotes cancer.238

U.S. National Library of MedicineRate this definition:(0.00 / 0 votes)

Curium

A radioactive actinide with atomic symbol Cm, atomic number 96, and atomic weight 247. Thirteen curium isotopes have been produced with mass numbers ranging from 238-250. Its valence can be +3 or +4. It is intensely radioactive and decays by alpha-emission.